Pumpkin Pleasers – Bearfaced Groceries – 3 Healthy Recipes

Pumpkin Pleasers – Bearfaced Groceries

3 Healthy Recipes

Happy Monday everyone!

This week, I bringing you a blog post packed full of recipes and pumpkin goodness. What better way to kick-start November other than eating some fresh produce, getting creative in the kitchen and allowing ourselves to feel comforted from the inside out. I was kindly asked by Bearfaced Groceries to create some recipes inspired by their munchkin pumpkins (the cutest pumpkins around). I was also inspired by comfort food and the foods that make me feel particularly happy or make me feel calm on a cold day. I have previously collaborated with Bearfaced Groceries and I created some yummy recipes! Check out the previous blog post here: Bearfaced Groceries Delivery and Sweet and Savoury Healthy Recipes

If you don’t know who Bearfaced Groceries are here is a little information:

Bearfaced Groceries are Manchester based, focusing on the aspect of sourcing real food from real people. They work extremely hard to find out where their food comes from, and where it is sourced from. They also like to work closely with the suppliers and farmers that supply the food; in order to select high quality, high welfare produce for us all to enjoy!

I absolutely love the team network at Bearfaced Groceries and they have made me feel extremely welcome; I am very grateful for that. They’re approachable, their website is extremely easy to navigate and their produce isn’t intimidating! Sometimes when we are unsure of something, we don’t like to be adventurous and purchase it. Bearfaced Groceries have ensured that they have a large selection of produce for you to choose from and if you are unsure, they are on hand to help you out.

I always search for ‘real food’ (fresh, additive free, organic, wholesome) and sometimes it can be challenging, especially to find produce that is in season. Bearfaced Groceries have ticked all of these boxes and have individually picked the best produce for you.

‘We want to save you the time and stress of the supermarket and inspire you with easy and nutritious recipes to put the joy back into your mealtimes. No big brands, no hidden additives, no short shelf lives, no misleading offers, no corporate jargon and no fat cats! Come and experience what grocery shopping should be like’. – Bearfaced Groceries.

What did I order?

All of the ingredients in the box were hand selected by myself from the website. Their website offers an extensive range of produce both fresh and pre-packaged. You can customise your own box or alternatively you can select a pre-packaged box which includes hand selected produce from the people at Bearfaced Groceries. Their website covers an array of goodies including fresh vegetables, meat, fish, tinned organic goods, baking ingredients, nuts, seeds, chocolate and lots more.

When the box arrived at my doorstep, I was so excited to reveal the goodness inside. I absolutely love the smell of fresh vegetables and the thought of spending my weekend in the kitchen creating recipes made me so happy. The kitchen is one of my ‘happy places’! I feel extremely fortunate to have been able to work with Bearfaced Groceries again, they’re a wonderful team of people who have a huge passion for healthy, natural produce.

I have put the whole list down below of what I ordered. I used all of the ingredients for the recipes. (I didn’t use all of the carrots, onions or tender stem broccoli but I still ate them throughout the week! For the price of them, I couldn’t believe how much I received, made meal prep so easy during the week).

Recipes

The recipes I have created are inspired by seasonal pumpkins and contain warming flavours of winter spices, both of which will heal your tummy and make you feel cosy. These recipes are perfect for the winter months ahead. All of these recipes can be made in larger portions, by doubling the ingredients and storing in airtight containers in the fridge or in the freezer for them to last longer. I have selected recipes that are versatile, sweet and savoury and are guaranteed to leave you feeling energised and satisfied. No bad ingredients! 100% natural and 100% wholesome. All thanks to the wonderful team at Bearfaced Groceries & a few little added extras from my kitchen cupboards.

Pumpkin, Carrot and Cinnamon Soup

Served with Homemade Brown Bread

This soothing soup is perfect for cold afternoons or cold evenings! It is warm, creamy and wholesome. I have added cinnamon for a touch of warmth and for its added anti-inflammatory properties. This soup can be eaten on its own or alternatively, it can be eaten with a side of homemade bread, rice or quinoa. Experiment with your choices.

Ingredients for the bread

The bread was a pre-packaged mix as shown above in the images, I added water and eggs to the mix and cooked it in my bread maker for 3 hours (used from Bearfaced Groceries).

Ingredients for the soup

3 chopped and peeled carrots (used from Bearfaced Groceries)

1 large pumpkin, peeled and diced (used from Bearfaced Groceries)

2 cups of vegetable stock

1 large finely chopped red onion (used from Bearfaced Groceries)

1 pinch of salt and pepper

2 tsp of minced garlic

1/2 tsp of cinnamon

1/4 tsp of nutmeg

1 tbsp of coconut oil

Method

Sauté the onion in some coconut oil until soft and golden brown (the smell of onions cooking is amazing!).

Once the onion is caramelised, add in your spices and garlic and stir together.

Leave to cook/steam on a low heat for 2 hours, or until the vegetables are soft. Stir as you go and make sure to check it every 2o minutes.

Once everything is cooked and well combined together, allow this mixture to cool and then blend to your desired consistency. I used a NutriBullet for this process and it transformed the soup into a creamy texture, it was beautiful.

You don’t have to blend this soup! You could leave it as a vegetable pulp and eat it with some rice, quinoa or on a potato.

These cookies are crunchy on the outside and gooey in the middle. These cookies are the perfect afternoon pick-me-up or the ideal evening snack with a cup of tea and a side of coconut yoghurt. I have included peanut butter as one of the ingredients because I am a huge lover of all things peanut flavoured. I have added the pumpkin for seasonal sweetness and I have added chocolate for an extra touch of indulgence. These cookies are warming, wholesome and guilt free.

Ingredients

1 cup of instant oats (used from Bearfaced Groceries)

3/4 cup of gluten free plain flour

1 1/2 tsp of baking powder

2 tsp of ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp of ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp of ground ginger

A pinch of salt

1 tbsp of coconut oil/butter melted and cooled slightly

2 tbsp of creamy peanut butter (used from Bearfaced Groceries)

1 tsp of vanilla extract

1/2 cup of pumpkin puree – room temperature – (I made my own pumpkin puree using the Bearfaced Groceries pumpkins, slicing and peeling them, boiling them, draining away excess fluid and blending them – allow this to cool before adding it to the cookie mixture)

Line a baking tray with parchment paper, I used two large baking trays for this to make sure there was enough room.

Combine all of the dry ingredients together – apart from the chocolate chips!

Comine all of the wet ingredients together.

Comine both the wet and the dry ingredients together and create small cookie shapes out of the mixture (I use 1tsp of mixture to create 1 cookie), press the top of the cookies with a spatular to ensure they are half the size (you can choose how big or small you want them to be, but this will alter the cooking time).

I chopped up some chocolate buttons and pressed them into the cookies. This should make approximately 12-15 cookies, so much deliciousness!

Put the cookies into the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the tray for 10 minutes once cooked; before transferring them onto a cooling rack for a further 10 minutes.

Serve the cookies crumbled over yoghurt or eat them with a warm drink – green tea, raw cacao hot chocolate or some hot almond milk.

Chicken, Pumpkin and Lentil Curry

This curry is warming, rich and wholesome. The pumpkin adds a touch of sweetness, the lentils add a crunchy texture and the ginger adds a touch of subtle spice. If this curry is too spicy, stir in a spoonful of Greek yoghurt and you’ll have extra creaminess. I love having this curry with a side of rice, quinoa, vegetables or on a jacket potato. It is packed full of nutrients and protein, perfect for post-workout or alternatively eat in the evening with your family. This dish feeds up to four people and I can assure you it is a pumpkin pleaser and a family pleasure also! Popadoms and mango chutney would not go a miss either!

1/2 a can of lentils, washed and drained (used from Bearfaced Groceries)

Tenderstem broccoli (used from Bearfaced Groceries)

Method

Sauté the onion in coconut oil until caramelised.

Add the chicken stock and herbs to the caramelised onion and stir well.

Add your diced chicken breast to this mixture and cook until the chicken is tender and cooked the whole way through.

Once the chicken is cooked, add in your lentils and chopped pumpkin and cook for a further 30 minutes on a low heat making sure to stir the mixture as it cooks; check it every 10 minutes. You want the consistency of the sauce to thicken and become wholesome.

At this stage, taste the curry and if this is too spicy, add a touch of yoghurt and stir well!

Serve your curry with a side of steamed white rice, steamed quinoa, steamed vegetables, potatoes or salad and enjoy!

It was a huge privilege to work with Bearfaced Groceries and I am so impressed with their customer service and their food. I can’t wait to order from them again in the near future. I now have some amazing food stocked up in my fridge; ready for the week ahead. Put the winter blues to one side, comfort food has been made healthy with pumpkin inspiration.

If you do try out these recipes, please capture your creations and send them my way! I would love to share them on my social media and show Bearfaced Groceries. Be sure to keep up to date with their adventures by following them on social media!

• Hi, I'm Jessica! •
I was 15 when I first experienced bullying and depression. 7 years on and I am now an award-winning health blogger, passionate journalist, avid explorer and foodie and fitness lover. Positively Jessica Ward is a blog and location for all things positive. Magnetic colour, mouthwatering recipes and infectious positivity!